List of Free Online Dating Sites

By Rochelle Connery

You don't have to pay in excess of $40 per month for a subscription to premium online websites. There are several free online dating sites that will help you get acquainted with a potential partner for free. You can browse by location, age, orientation and character trait to get matched with your soul mate on each site. Some let you browse a little before signing up, and others require instant membership prior to checking out profiles.

Okcupid.com

Okcupid.com wants you to register before browsing, but it is possible to look at dating candidates in your area before giving out any info. You're only allowed to look at two or three profiles before the website displays an alert in the browser telling you to sign up before you can view any more. You can look at virtually unlimited search results before signing up to see previews of a profile.You need only to select your birth date, gender and orientation to move on at okcupid.com. After signing up, you can take personality tests, fill out your profile and search for others in your age range and location.

Datehookup.com

Much the same rules apply at datehookup.com. Search options are more limited, and you're only allowed to view three profiles before signing up. Their registration information is a little more detailed and requires that you include your location information as well as your age. You do not have to give your real birth date here, just the appropriate age range.At datehookup.com, you can also join forums and singles groups for support. They offer online chat to registered users as well.

Mingle2.com

Mingle2.com is home to the 30-second sign up form. The typical email address, orientation information, age and location are required to sign up. Here you cannot browse any individual profiles before registering; the only profiles you have access to previewing are those of members currently online or in a location search.This website hosts ads, so you will see these in the search results or on a profile. These ads are not malicious, however, so the site does not pose any danger to your computer in this way.

Connectingsingles.com

Connectsingles.com promises 100 percent free online dating forever and can connect you with singles all over the world, not just in the United States and Canada. You can browse profiles before registering, and your search options remain open even if you're not registered. Connectsingles.com is also powered by ads, but if you're not particular about an ad-free dating site, this shouldn't be a problem.

Plentyoffish.com

One of the most popular online dating websites is plentyoffish.com. It's 100 percent free and displays very few ads during searches, profile browsing and forum activity. Their advanced search options are highly granular, and by filling in all the search request forms before searching, you can narrow down your query to a specific set of potential dating candidates.Plentyoffish.com takes their dating platform seriously, as is evidenced in their "upgrade" category. Before you can upgrade to a more serious relationship, they require that you take an exam first to test your character.